The Lady and her Butler
by Cyked-up
Summary: Umi started working as a butler for Minami Kotori after what happened to her family. This marks the start of a new chapter in her life as Butler Sonoda Umi. AU set in Modern era. KotoUmi (Re-uploaded)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything~**

 **This fanfic saw the light after a friend from tumblr helped me finalize this AU. I hope you all enjoy this ride in Butler Sonoda Umi's life.**

 **Chapter 1: At your service, milady.**

 **Chapter 1: At your service, milady.**

A day ago, Sonoda Umi was just a regular high school student.

A day later, she found herself moving into a new house and a new school, landing a job as a butler of a certain household.

It all started on that fateful day while she was at school, enjoying her time with her friends. Her parents suddenly called her, told her that their family had gone bankrupt, and that their dojo's doors would close its doors because it could no longer support the family the way it used to.

It was the modern era, samurais of the old long forgotten and people stopped trying to harness their skills with the sword. For that reason, the Sonoda family suffered a decrease of eager learners and their dojo eventually emptied out of students.

Their dojo was their only source of income. When it failed to do its duty, the Sonoda family was left with nothing. Umi's parents had no choice but to sell their house and find decent jobs. When Umi inquired her parents where they would live, they answered with a simple: "You're going to work for a rich family. They're looking for a butler for their only daughter. For the time being, you're going to live there as well. So you don't have to worry about where you will stay. As for your mother and I, we will be helping out your uncle manage his business in Hokkaido."

Umi wanted to say she wanted to go with them, but such an act was selfish especially at a time like this. Her parents had already called this family and applied Umi for the job.

"…don't worry. We are not abandoning you. After we saved enough money, we'll come back for you, we promise you that."

That was how Umi found herself standing in front of a tall gate, waiting for someone to let her inside this (ridiculously) huge house. "A butler, huh…" And so a new chapter in her life started.

* * *

Umi knocked on the door softly. "Ojou-sama, it's time to go." A week had already passed since she started working for the Minami house.

The Minami family owned a lot of educational institutions. A large sum of money also went to public schools which were unable to provide its students decent learning materials. Students unable to continue their education because of financial matters were also given scholarships. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were the ones keeping Japan's educational system on its feet.

"Ojou-sama?" She repeated.

Umi was transferred into Otonokizaka Academy as part of her work. This was the first time she was wearing a blazer for a school uniform, her old school's uniform was a sailor one and a co-ed. Apparently, Otonoki (its nickname) was an all-girls school.

The door finally opened, revealing the daughter of the Minami family also wearing Otonoki's uniform, Minami Kotori, a second year in Otonoki. "I'm sorry, did you wait long?"

"Ojou-sama, if I may be frank, you don't have to apologize to me for that." Kotori belonged in a different world than Umi after all. She was also Umi's employer as well.

"But it's rude to make someone wait for you." Kotori stepped out of her room, closing the door behind her. Umi was actually expecting to serve a spoiled rich girl wanting everything to go her way, a stereotyped image. She was prepared for that, but she was proven wrong when Minami Kotori welcomed her with a kind smile a week ago. She emitted an aura of a perfect Japanese lady, a modern Yamato Nadeshiko. Loved by the students in the school, she was individual whom the students looked up to. "Let's go?"

"Ah, yes."

Umi was expecting for a rich girl to be chauffeured by a fancy car, she was proven otherwise once again as Kotori only walked to and from school.  
Their way to school was an event Umi had gotten used to in the past week. At first, Umi was walking a few steps behind her employer. Kotori scolded her for that and told her to walk beside her instead. The girl also requested to not be referred to as ojou-sama when they're outside of the house. (It was actually within the house too but Umi refused saying that it's not proper)

"How are you doing right now, Umi-chan?"

"Ah, I have gotten used it."

Kotori stopped and pouted at her.

"I-I mean I'm okay now." Right, she's not allowed to speak in a formal tone.  
Kotori's expression lit up and she continued her trek towards their school. She was always worrying about Umi. But Umi was coping up with her situation rather perfectly. Kotori was easy to talk to and the students of Otonoki were also friendly, she couldn't ask for anything else. Umi wondered about her parents since she lost contact with them on that day. She hoped they were doing well.

Unknown to her, Kotori was looking at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Umi-chan."

"Y-yes?" Was there something Kotori wants her to do?

The girl grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, surprising the latter. "O-ojou-sama?!"

"Oh, your hand is really warm. This is the first time we held hands like this."  
If people saw them like this, it would cause an uproar. Transfer student Sonoda Umi holding hands with the school's princess, Minami Kotori, how scandalous. Kotori smiled at her as fondly as she can. "I like your hand, Umi-chan. Do you practice martial arts or something?"

Umi's calloused hands were results from her dedication to archery and kendo in the past. "Um, just archery and kendo." She wanted Kotori to let go now, they were almost at their school. If that person saw them like this she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Why don't you join the archery club, then? They would like to have you in their team."

Umi joining a club was not acceptable. She was working as a butler and had to be always at her lady's side. "I grew tired of it."

"Hmm…"

"SONODA!" A person suddenly approached them and wrenched her hand away from Kotori.

Umi steeled herself. "Ayase-sama." There was one individual who didn't appreciate her appearance into Kotori's life.

Ayase Eli, Otonoki's student council president and an overprotective childhood friend of Kotori.

Eli just looked at Kotori. "Are you okay?"

Right, being ignored.

"Eli-chan… I'm okay but…"

"Good." She returned her attention to the butler. "…you–"

"That's enough, Eli." Another person appeared. Nishikino Maki, another childhood friend of Kotori's and Eli's, and the youngest among the three.

Umi regarded her as politely as she could, bowing her head at the girl as a greeting. "Good morning, Maki-sama."

"How do you, Umi-senpai, Kotori."

With Eli and Maki standing beside Kotori like this, the latter one was the shortest even though Maki is a year younger. Umi understands where Eli's coming from for being wary of her. Kotori was really kind, it was her strength and her downfall. With Umi's position as her butler, she was always with Kotori and could take advantage of that kindness better than anyone else.

"You don't understand, Maki! She was holding Kotori's hand!" Eli tried to explain.

That was not Umi's fault, her employer was the one who initiated that.  
"…okay okay. I get it. You need to go right now and work on your student council duties."

"Maki…!"

Kotori puffed out her cheeks and karate chopped the two on their head, earning reactions from them. "Don't argue." She successfully put out the fire. "And Eli-chan, it was me who was holding Umi-chan's hand. It's not her fault."

"…i-is that so?"

"Like what Kotori said."

Eli frowned at the red haired girl. "I don't understand you. Why are you taking her side?"

"I'm just…"

It seemed like they were going to argue again. Kotori gave them another hit.

"Right… sorry, we're stopping." Eli let out a sigh.

"Good."

Umi watched this whole spectacle in awe. These three were really good friends. They kinda reminded her of her own friends from her old school. She also lost contact with them after starting her job. Maybe on her next day off she could visit them. It has been a while after all.

"Umi-chan? Let's go." Maki and Eli were already walking ahead of them.

"Ah, yes."

* * *

Umi was arranged to join Kotori's class to make things easier for her. The first day she transferred here, she earned a lot of attention from the students and was dubbed as the 'Mysterious dashing transfer student'. It wasn't something new. In her old school, she was a frequent recipient of love letters from both genders.

"Kotori." She placed down a lunch box in front of the girl seated on one of the chairs inside the crowded cafeteria. "Here is your lunch for today."

Can't say that this didn't earn quite a reaction from their classmates at first. Umi giving Kotori a lunch box formed a misunderstanding. They thought, and were still thinking, that she and Kotori were in that kind of relationship.  
"Thank you as always, Umi-chan."

Umi sat across the girl with her own lunch box on her hands. Kotori should really stop thanking her every time. "You're always welcome."

"Umi-chan…"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to do something this Sunday?"

On her day off? She planned on visiting her friends. "Nothing in particular."

"Are you sure?"

The way Kotori was looking at her at the moment prompted Umi to be honest. "I was actually planning on visiting my friends. But if you have something you'd like to ask of me then I will postpone my visit."

"No, no. Don't do that. There's still next time."

"But…"

"It's fine, Umi-chan. Enjoy your day off with your friends." Kotori smiled at her.

"Then I will make sure to make my next day off available for you."

"I-is it okay?"

"Ojou-sama, I'm your butler. You can ask me anything." Kotori's treating her as something different from that and it bothered Umi a bit.

"Okay. Then, next Sunday we'll go out, okay? You have to accompany me." Kotori's eyes stared at her own.

She gave a nod in understanding. "Of course."

Rather than a butler, Kotori's treatment of Umi was more like a friend. Kotori hesitated to be selfish with Umi and would ask if she was asking too much from her. This girl was really kind…

* * *

When they were not in school, Umi wore her butler uniform especially inside the house. Her hair was tied in a low tail. Her clothing consisted of a white wing collar dress shirt, black tie, grey vest, black morning coat with cufflinks, and a pair of white gloves. For the lower part, she had black trousers, and leather shoes.

She worked to help out the maids and cooks. Her job was actually just to serve the lady of the house but she refused, wanting to make herself useful even to the other workers of the house as the head butler.

"Umi-chan?"

"Yes, ojou-sama?"

"Good night."

"Have a good night, Kotori." And she left the room quietly.

Tomorrow will be another day in butler Sonoda Umi's life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: If the lady wishes so.**

Umi had thought that the rest of her life would just be a repeat of her routines. It slipped from her mind that she was actually serving Minami Kotori, someone who had an unusual strong sense of justice. It was on the following day that another unforgettable event happened in her life as a butler.

Umi and Kotori were on their way back to the Minami house after school ended for the day. Nothing was out of the ordinary until Kotori stopped walking, her eyes gazing somewhere across the street. Umi followed her gaze. "Ojou-sama? What's wrong?"

Kotori didn't answer her. Instead her face contorted into an expression which Umi could guess was anger. The girl was upset over something she was looking at across the street in the park.

"Ko—" Even before Umi was able to finish her sentence, Kotori crossed the street, leaving her alone. Umi went after her employer. Unfortunately the light turned red, making her unable to follow Kotori. What had Kotori seen?

Kotori's steps were light and fast. She refused to let this slide after seeing something like that. She had to step up against it. Kotori got closer to her destination. Two guys were trying to harass a poor innocent puppy, its cry tearing into Kotori's heart as it tried to reach up to its toy held by one of the guys. Their laughter annoyed Kotori even more.

"You two!" She raised her voice.

Kotori's outburst got their attention, they stopped with their fun and turned towards her. "Huh? What?" These two were obviously taller and stronger than her, but she refused to acknowledge her fear against people like them.

"Stop what you're doing to that puppy this instant!"

They exchanged a look with each other and burst out laughing, the other throwing the toy into the box and hitting the puppy inside it. When Kotori heard another cry from it, her insides burned with anger.

"How dare you!"

"…look here, missy." The two got closer to her, bending down to meet her eyes. "Who are you to tell us to stop huh?"

"Ooh look she has a weird hairstyle. What is that thing?" One pointed out. "You're right! What is that?!" And they burst out laughing.

She won't let them change the subject. "Get away from that puppy."

"You mean this thing?" The taller of the two approached the box once again and picked up the white furred animal by pinching the scruff of its neck.

"I said-"

"Like we said, who are you to tell us what to do huh?" The hand that was about to touch Kotori's head stopped midair. He glared at the newcomer who was holding his wrist.

"You are upsetting her. I suggest you to stop." Umi arrived just in time. So, the scene Kotori was looking at earlier was this. These two were harassing an innocent animal. She didn't expect any less from her employer though. With a heart like that she would never turn a blind eye on things like this.

"The hell are you?"

Umi ignored his question. These two were bothering her employer, this can't be overlooked. "Let go of that puppy." Her voice was like the sound of an unsheathing blade. It made the other guy holding the puppy flinch. When he refused to follow her words, Umi continued. "…let go."

"S-shut up!"

Stubborn. Umi sighed and turned her attention to Kotori. It seemed like she has to step up. Her job wasn't only to serve Kotori but also to protect her. "Ojou-sama, could you close your eyes for a while?" What she was about to do wouldn't be a pleasant sight for Kotori.

"Eh?"

"I'll take care of these two as swiftly as I can, so please."

"N-no! I'm against violence."

This was rather ironic. Alright, she'll do what her lady wishes and do this the pacifist way. She let go of the guy's wrist. But unfortunately for her when she finally did, he reached out for Kotori once again. And this time, she couldn't hold herself back. She grabbed the guy's arm and flipped him over to the ground, earning a cry of pain from him. Umi will apologize to her employer later. Her safety was the butler's first priority.

Seeing how his friend was beaten so easily, the other finally set the puppy free from his grasp, letting it fall on its box.

"Beat it." Her chilling glare sent them scattering away like flies. After making sure they were not coming back, Umi returned her attention to her employer. "Ojou-sama? I apologize for…" She was ready for being scolded by her employer. It never came, instead she was hugged by her.

"Umi-chan! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" She anticipated to be reprimanded on the spot for disobeying orders.

"I'm fine, Kotori." They honestly don't compare to the people from her family's dojo. "More importantly, are you hurt?"

"Don't worry, Umi-chan. You came at the right time." Kotori smiled at her. "Thank you for saving me."

Umi's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she bowed at Kotori. "I'm just doing my job to keep you safe." She was losing her composed nature all from Kotori's bright smile. Now she knew why her employer was so famous around school, even earning the title "princess".

As if wanting attention from the two of them, the puppy started barking from its box. Kotori and Umi approached it, the former bending down and taking it up on her arms.

"It's unharmed." Umi couldn't help voicing out her thoughts.

"Un…"

The butler looked around for a spot to settle on, her eyes landed on a bench nearby. "Kotori, there's a bench over there. You can sit there instead. I'll bring the box with me."

Kotori took Umi's offer. They both settled down on the park's bench with the box resting beside Umi and Kotori still holding the puppy on her arms.  
Its eyes stared up to Kotori's as if wondering who she was. Kotori giggled and petted its head. Umi was watching this scene with a fond look. Kotori's kindness was really something, she may be from a rich family but she didn't exhibit a pompous behavior and was prepared to stand up against two guys who were clearly larger than her. Umi had to protect her. She won't let the light in Kotori's eyes disappear.

"Umi-chan?" Kotori held up the puppy near Umi's face, startling her butler.  
"She's the one who saved you." As if it understood Kotori, the puppy gave another bark out of happiness and licked Umi's nose.

Umi leaned away on reflex.

"Do you not like dogs, Umi-chan?" It seemed that her reaction came off as a fact that she disliked dogs.

She shook her head in reply. Far from it actually, she liked dogs and cats. "That's not it. I like them. I used to have one for a pet when I was still a kid." She had to stop taking care of animals because she has to prioritize her training. After her pet died, she no longer thought of getting another one. "Kotori?" Kotori was looking at her expectantly. "D-do you want to adopt it?"

"Y-yes but… is it okay for Umi-chan to help me out?"

"If the lady wishes to."

Kotori's expression lit up. "Thank you, Umi-chan! Ah, but don't worry. You can just tell me what to do and I'll do the rest. I won't be a bother."

Umi watched her employer cuddle her new pet in delight. It was a really heart-warming sight as Kotori gushes over how cute it was and other things that just widened Umi's smile.

"We need a name for you… how about Yuuki?"

Yuuki? Is it because its fur is white? Or the other meaning which was courage? Either way, it seemed like there will be a new addition to the Minami family, a pet dog named Yuuki.

* * *

When Sunday finally came, Umi left the house around lunch time, her reluctance to leave showed, remembering that it was written in her job description to always stay by her employer's side, but Kotori told her to have fun for today. It's her day off, the only chance she can return to being just Sonoda Umi, a normal highschool girl.

After leaving the Minami house, she headed out to the local shrine where she always found one of her friends helping out. Toujou Nozomi, a third year from her previous school, and the student council president.

"Nozomi!"

The girl wearing a shrine maiden outfit stopped and turned around to face Umi. Her eyes widened at the sight of the girl. "U-Umi-chan?! U-Umi-chan's ghost…?"

This reaction from Nozomi was something she anticipated. Umi unexpectedly disappeared for more than a week after all, abdicating her position as Nozomi's vice president. "I-I'm not a ghost!"

"What happened to you? You suddenly disappeared without saying anything, we thought something bad happened."

Nozomi was something like an older sister figure for Umi. Someone you could count on to have advice ready for you, Nozomi was really popular with the girls as well for her fortune telling, which were scarily accurate. "A lot of things…" She didn't know where to start explaining. She was just happy that she was able to see her friend once again.

"It isn't like you to be vague, Umi-chan. Are you really sure you're her?" Nozomi's eyebrow rose, she pinched the girl's nose and pulled on it, thinking that this person was wearing a mask that looked like Umi.

"Ow! Nozomi!" She grabbed Nozomi's wrist and tugged it away from her face. "I'm the real Umi." Was there even a fake one to begin with? Typical Nozomi. Can't say she didn't miss this side of her friend.

"Oh you're right!"

Umi was immediately pulled into a bear hug by Nozomi. "Nozomi! I can't breathe!" Nozomi's chest was too suffocating and uncomfortable. But the girl didn't pull away and Umi felt a hand stroking her hair. Umi had a feeling that her friend already knew what happened. Umi was no longer living in that house, she stopped going to school and transferred out, and finally she lost contact with her friends. Someone like Nozomi would be able to connect the dots and learn what really happened in Umi's life.

"Umi-chan?"

"Eh?"

"…why did you bring an extra luggage with you on this visit?"

Umi frowned as Nozomi set her free from her hold. Nozomi was looking somewhere near the stairs, Umi's gaze landed on something blonde. Eli… and Maki? Those two followed her here? Or rather Eli followed her here and dragged Maki into it.

"…I started working as a butler for someone and they're my employer's friends." She explained, looking away from Eli and Maki before they realize they have been caught. Umi prevented herself from telling Nozomi about how Ayase Eli didn't like her. Eli must've been thinking that Umi's up to something that would hurt Kotori that's why she followed her here. Her employer was indeed kind but one of her friends were really troublesome, maybe this was a way to balance things?

"Butler?" Nozomi asked, finally gazing away from Maki and Eli.

As Umi explained her current situation to Nozomi, Eli and Maki watched them.

"Eli, seriously…" Maki sighed.

"…"

"Eli?"

"…that girl with Sonoda."

"Oh, she helps out the priest here."

"I see…"

"…"

"…she's really attractive isn't she?"

Maki's face was a mixture of disbelief and astonishment. Eli's love at first sight? Amusing. "Seems like you have to accept Umi-senpai if you want to get closer to that person."

Eli didn't hear, she was busy observing someone else other than Umi.

"…and that's what happened." Umi tried to tell Nozomi about what happened to her the past week. From how their dojo was unable to support her family until how she started working as a butler for Minami Kotori. As expected Eli and Maki were still eavesdropping on them. Umi wondered if they're going to stay like that until she returns to the Minami house. It seemed like rich people have a lot of time on their hands to be doing something like this.  
Nozomi hummed in response. "I would like to see Umi-chan wearing a butler outfit."

"…Nozomi."

"I'm just kidding! All things considered I'm glad you're doing fine." Nozomi smiled at her.

" _Stop gripping my arm so tightly, Eli!"_

Nozomi was right. It was thanks to Kotori for letting her adjust to this change.

"Speaking of which, have you gone to Honoka-chan yet? I bet she would be really surprised when she sees you."

"I was planning on it." She could use a Homura manjuu right now, it has been awhile since she last ate one.

"Then, why don't we go together? I just need to change out of this outfit."  
Umi gave a nod as Nozomi left her side to change into her casual clothing. Eli and Maki were no longer there, Umi hoped that they stopped following her around. Even if they continued to do so, Umi had nothing to show them other than her mundane life, not as interesting as theirs that was for sure.

The remainder of Umi's day off was spent with her friends, catching up on a lot of things. Apparently, after Umi left her position as the vice president, Honoka took up the role immediately. Umi was a bit worried about how the student council would fare now that it was being led by Nozomi and Honoka. Well, Nozomi was more level-headed than Honoka, she might be able to keep her on the line or so Umi hoped.

Overall, her day was really fun and it was nice to meet her friends once again. However, she did miss spending time with Kotori even if it was just a day without her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Understood, milady.  
**

Umi's next day-off was something she promised to keep available for Kotori. Turned out that Kotori just wanted to spend time with her in the Minami estate's backyard. There was a pond located there and a white table with four chairs near it. Umi guessed that this was a place the Minami family spent their time leisurely.

"What do you think, Umi-chan?" Umi placed a cup of tea in front of Kotori who was peering up at her with a small smile. Despite being her day-off, Umi was still wearing her butler outfit and still serving Kotori. Her employer actually told her that the maids would do it instead but Umi declined, pointing out that it was her job.

"It's a really nice place." She couldn't believe that such a place existed within the Minami estate. Then again the property was incredibly huge so, there was a possibility that there was something else Umi hadn't seen yet. She only went as far as the front gate and never ventured further behind the house, which actually was, in commoner's term, the backyard. "Do you visit this place often in the past, ojou-sama?" Perhaps with her family too. Speaking of Kotori's family, Umi hadn't seen any of Kotori's parents yet even after working for about three weeks now. She only knew that Kotori's father's name was Minami Ichirou and her mother was Minami Aya.

"I used to play here a lot when I was still a kid." Kotori leaned back on her chair with a wistful smile. It was during those times when her parents were still able to pay attention to her. "How about you Umi-chan? You haven't told me about your family yet."

Umi was taken aback with Kotori's sudden question. It was the truth. Umi wasn't exactly open about her family's background. "A-are you sure you want to know more about my family, Kotori?" The Sonoda family was just your average, everyday, family that didn't have any significant achievements like the Minamis.

"Of course but it's entirely up to Umi-chan if she wants to share it to me." Kotori took a sip on her cup as Umi contemplated on her decision. "Also, don't just stand there, Umi-chan. You can sit down."

"A-ah, no. I'll be fine here." Standing like this was a part of improving her discipline.

Kotori pouted at her. "So stubborn, Umi-chan…"

"S-sorry…" If Umi were to tell Kotori about her family, won't she find it dull? But then again, their worlds differ from each other. Kotori might be interested with how low-class family works just as how Umi was interested with how the high-class family were. "I have to warn you, ojou-sama. You might find it boring."

"Umi-chan, if that were the case I wouldn't had considered asking you that question you know?"

Kotori just knew what to say to Umi and knew her way with words, she was certainly a formidable individual. It really indicated that she was undeniably a daughter of a successful family.

Surrendering to her employer's request, Umi started speaking about her family. "I also came from a family of three. My father, Sonoda Hiroki, once owned a martial arts dojo. It was where I learned how to appreciate archery and kendo. While my mother, Sonoda Keiko, used to teach traditional dance." Umi's memories were brought back to the time when she was still trying to learn how to hold a wooden sword. She and Honoka used to practice kendo together, and when they entered their middle school years Umi switched to archery because of the unspeakable feeling she felt when she held a bow for the first time. Unknown to her, she had gotten too immersed into her story and Kotori was watching her with a fond smile. It was five minutes later that she realized that she spoke too much and had to cover her mouth and apologize to her employer.

"It's fine, Umi-chan." Kotori had fun learning more about Umi. It was really nerve-wrecking to know so little about her butler who, up until now, was shrouded in mystery. After hearing about Umi's upbringing, Kotori finally realized that she has a cute side underneath that disciplined exterior. On to the next point, though. "I've always wondered, ever since that day, just how strong Umi-chan is."

"Eh?" Kotori was talking about that day when they found Yuuki. When Umi managed to flip a person bigger than her without breaking a sweat.

"…can I ask you to do something from me?"

Umi watched her employer stood up from her chair and approached her with a knowing smile. Somehow, Umi felt alarmed on the words that would come out of Kotori's mouth.

"Can you try carrying me?"

"O-ojou-sama?!" She can, there was one problem to consider though. Why would Kotori ask something like that out of the blue? Out of curiosity of her strength? Didn't she already display it on that day?

Kotori tilted her head sideway in wonder. "You can't?"

"I-I can. If that's what the lady desires." Umi took off her coat to prevent it from getting in the way and placed it on a chair's backrest, she pulled her dress shirt's sleeves towards her elbows. "T-then, please excuse me." She bent down and moved her arm under Kotori's knees, the other supporting the latter on her back.

Kotori instinctively wrapped her arm around Umi's neck to steady herself. Umi had managed to carry her like this, she couldn't even feel the butler's arms shaking from Kotori's weight. Well, she's not that heavy anyway. Kotori let out a laugh and squealed in delight. "Umi-chan—"

The girl's face was dangerously close to hers, if either of them made a move their lips would've touched. However, this was the first time Umi had seen Kotori's eyes this close. It only took a second longer until they were both wrapped in silence, they just stared at each other as if only the two of them existed in the world. Why was Umi's heart beating so fast?

Kotori was in a similar situation. She understood why her schoolmates were making a huge fuss about this girl right here. With her this close, even Kotori's cheeks had gotten red and she felt really embarrassed. Umi's really b—

"SONODA!"

A loud voice pulled the two of them away from their moment of trance. Umi immediately let Kotori down who started to struggle after hearing that voice.  
Ayase Eli had arrived along with Nishikino Maki. The latter was bright red and refused to make eye contact with anyone, she was twirling a strand of her hair distractedly. While for Eli, she wasn't looking any pleased with what she just witnessed.

Umi felt a tug on her collar and Eli glared down at her. "W-what do you think you're doing to Kotori!" She stuttered. Honestly speaking, the butler had no idea what exactly just happened between her and Kotori. It was one of those moments that you felt like it was a dream. Umi wished it was a dream.

"Sonoda!"

"Eli-chan!" Kotori pulled Eli away from her butler. "It's not Umi-chan's fault. I was the one who asked her to carry me so don't blame her for anything."

"Kotori." Maki finally spoke. "I think Eli needs an explanation."

"A-alright… Umi-chan, can you prepare tea for us?"

Umi took a bow at her employer. "Understood." And grabbed her coat from the chair, approaching the Minami house with a red face. What happened earlier was bad. Really bad. If Eli and Maki hadn't arrived and interrupted that moment, Umi feared that she and Kotori would've done something that was forbidden of their status and relationship. She brought her hand up to her forehead and sighed. "I think I messed up…" This was her first mistake as a butler and this would be the last.

* * *

A month passed since then, that event in their life was treated nothing more than an accident and a joke. A silent vow was told, to never speak of it ever again. Both continued on without having to reflect about that day, they were back to normal as well. The season had started to change, winter uniforms were replaced their summer counterpart. Even Umi's butler uniform was altered by Kotori, the coat was discarded and her dress shirt was swapped by a short-sleeved one.

Of course, summer also meant that there'd be an unbearable heat due to global warming. When the date hit summer vacation, Umi found herself accompanying Kotori on a trip with Eli, Maki, and a special guest.

How did this happen…

"Umi-senpai!"

Umi was on her way back from the washroom when Maki had called out to her. The first thing that came to her mind was: it was odd for Maki to be moving around the second year's hallway. The girl usually spent her time inside the music room.

Nishikino Maki, a talented pianist along with being the smartest girl in her year, from what Umi had heard, aced the school's entrance exam which gave her the opportunity to stand in front of the first years as their representative. She was far too perfect in everyone's eyes and even got her own fan club.

Maki, or Nishi-sama referred by her fans, came from a family of famous physicians. Their family owned the largest hospital ever built in Japan, and on top of that they also built hospitals in rural areas that needed their services. It was just a rumor but Umi also overheard that Maki's family has their own private police force.

"Maki-sama, is there something you need?"

Maki scratched the back of her neck with a sigh. "That honorific, can I ask you to stop using that on my name? You're older than me after all." Umi watched Maki's cheeks turned red as her hair, it looked like the girl was going to add more to her sentence but something was preventing her from doing so.

"That doesn't seem appropriate considering my status." Although, she's not entirely against the idea of dropping the honorific for Maki. Umi wanted to get along with Kotori's friends as well… Honoka's tendencies to make friends must've rubbed off on her.

"It's fine. I don't really mind being referred to casually." Maki's cheeks had gotten redder if possible. "Just Maki is fine." As if a nervous habit, she started twirling a strand of her hair before continuing. "Anyway… I want to ask you something…"

Umi kinda dreaded what was coming next. Is this about Kotori? Could it be that Maki was also against the idea of having a total stranger to Kotori work as her butler especially after that? No, Maki wasn't Eli. From the start, Eli had shown disapproval and dislike for Umi while Maki, granted, was suspicious of her at first, accepted Kotori's decision of hiring Umi.

"Don't worry it's not about Kotori. Besides, I'm not Eli." Maki truly believed that Umi was the person Kotori needed in her life. "Instead it's about you."  
The butler got even more confused if possible.

"Kotori already told you about our plans for this summer vacation, right?"

"Yes, she did." Kotori mentioned that they were going to stay over at Maki's villa for three days and two nights when summer break begins. It was a custom between the friends. The sponsors differ each year and this time it was Maki's turn.

"Then, I want to ask you to invite someone. Your friend who's working for the local shrine, can you convince her to go?"

Nozomi? There must be a reason for Maki to want Nozomi to be present on that trip. Was she going to be used against her?

"Don't worry, we're not thinking of doing something bad. Rather, treat it as an apology for following you around on that day."

Umi was still unsure but it would be nice if Nozomi was there with her. "I'll see what I can do." She just hoped Eli won't use Nozomi against her.

That was how Umi found herself going to this trip with the special guest or also known as Toujou Nozomi.

"I'm sorry, Nozomi."

"It's fine. It's fine. I don't think it's fine for Honoka-chan though."

Honoka was less than pleased to hear that her friends were going on a trip without her but what can Umi do? Maki asked her to invite only Nozomi. "She will just have to bear with it." She observed the three friends settle down on a beach mat provided to them and under the protection of a beach umbrella.

"So, that girl is your employer? The girl with grayish-brown hair?" Kotori was wearing a dark green swimsuit. This marked the first time Umi had seen Kotori showing that much skin in front of her.

Umi nodded and saw her employer waving at her, she waved back in return. Everyone else was wearing their swimsuit save for Umi, who was still wearing her butler outfit.

"You're not going to swim, are you?"

Knowing what Nozomi was referring to, Umi shook her head this time. "You know I'm not comfortable letting others see that." People were too nosy for their own good. So, to prevent any questions, Umi would stay decently clothed throughout this trip.

 _"Let's climb it!"_

 _"It's impossible!"_

 _But Honoka ignored her warning and pushed forward to climb the tree in front of her. Umi tailed behind and they both managed to climb on a tree branch. However, the branch started to give out on their weight and snapped. Honoka grabbed the branch on top of her but Umi was too late. The next second, Umi felt an excruciating pain on her back and she lost consciousness as a result._

"Ah, I have to prepare the drinks. Nozomi, you can go ahead." Oddly enough, the first person to approach Nozomi earlier was Eli. There was a huge difference on how Eli treated the purple haired girl. Umi hoped it wasn't what she was thinking. No, Eli wouldn't stoop so low as that, right? To get through Nozomi's good graces and be used against Umi.

"You're not going to swim, Umi-chan?" Umi anticipated this question from Kotori. After she handed out a shaved ice to each person, she settled down beside Kotori, finally yielding to the heat of the sun.

"I think I'll pass for the remaining of the trip." If Kotori saw that, the girl might start worrying about her, even if it was already a decade old. "I was put in charge in preparing the meals for everyone after all."

"Umi-chan, this was supposed to be your break too. Please stop thinking about work at least for this time. We didn't invite you here to work."

Kotori's solemn expression shook Umi's earlier resolve. "Ojou-sama, I'll only pass on swimming."

"Could it be… you don't know how to swim?"

"I do. I just don't feel like getting into the water this time."

"O-oh…" Kotori was mumbling something under her breath that Umi couldn't hear clearly. The remaining of the day was spent with Umi serving the others with drinks and foods, Eli and Nozomi's relationship had started to improve, Maki just stayed under the umbrella reading a pocket book, and Kotori was either with Eli and Nozomi or with her butler, talking about certain things.

Overall, their first day in the vacation house was really peaceful. Then again, there was that saying, "The calm before the storm."

* * *

Kotori woke up earlier than usual the following day. She had expected Umi to be already working on their breakfast, but the girl was nowhere near the kitchen. It struck her as odd, the butler was usually awake at this time. She probably just decided to sleep more. Thirty minutes passed, Nozomi showed up inside the living room, followed by Maki, and lastly Eli. Umi was still nowhere to be found.

"Umi-chan is not awake yet?" Nozomi glanced around the room.  
"When I got up she was nowhere in the house." Did she go out somewhere? But they have the fridge stacked up on supplies for the remaining of the trip.

"Kotori, have you checked her room?" Maki offered.

"Not yet…"

"Then, I'll go wake her up." Nozomi turned around to go back upstairs.

"W-wait! Nozomi-chan, I'll go with you." Something was wrong. This was the first time Umi overslept. What if something happened to her last night?

Nozomi knocked on the door softly in case Umi was still really sleeping, she can shield the girl's employer from an incoming supersonic pillow this way. "Umi-chan, are you in there? We're coming in." The sight greeted them surprised the two. Umi was lying face down on the floor as if she had gotten up, only to fall once again.

"Umi-chan!" Kotori left Nozomi's side and cradled her butler in her arms. Her temperature was burning and her face was covered in sweat. "…fever." Maki knew what to do on a situation like this. "Nozomi-chan, can you call Maki-chan from downstairs?"

"All right, I'll be right back…" Nozomi's rushed footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Kotori should bring Umi back to the bed and change her damp shirt for the time being. She reached out for the girl's belongings and got a shirt from it. Now, she just had to put it on Umi. "I'm sorry, Umi-chan." She began taking off the girl's shirt and when she was about to pull it off the girl's shoulders she caught sight of something on Umi's back.

Overwhelmed with a fit of coughing, Umi rouse from her slumber and saw Kotori was right beside her and staring at something. "Kotori… what are you." Umi looked down, finding that her shirt was off and the thing her employer was staring at with wide eyes was…

"Umi-chan, what happened to you?"

 _"Umi-chan?!"_

 _When Umi fell from that branch, her back got caught with a sharp branch that ripped her shirt, and something else._

It was a scar. It started from her right shoulder blade down to the left side of her waist.

"Kotori…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: T** **hank you for your hard work.**

Umi honestly wanted to turn back the time to prevent something like this from happening. Kotori was right beside her, covering her own mouth and gazing at the scar on the butler's back. Umi went through such lengths to keep it hidden yesterday, even to the point of lying and making excuses to Kotori. Yet, after all those things, time just had to go against her and she knew that the more she kept it hidden, the more she exposed herself to the risk of being found out.

Her brown eyes glanced around the floor and she saw her discarded shirt, she wordlessly retrieved it and put it on. Kotori was silent the whole time, and only then she decided to speak when the butler was done making herself decent by putting back her shirt. "U-Umi-chan, just what happened to you? Does it still hurt? Why…"

The questions came at once and Umi forced herself to shake her head weakly. "It's an old wound, ojou-sama. I apologize for making you worry about me, but it doesn't get in the way of my work." She explained. That was the truth. The scar was no longer a problem for her unlike in the past when she would feel a prickling pain on her back which made her unable to continue her training, because there was a possibility of bleeding.

"B-but…" A choked word came from the lady.

Umi's eyes dared to glance at her employer and was surprised to see the latter's teary eyes. "Ojou-sama?!" Worried that she might've said something that offended her, Umi tried to figure out the reason why Kotori was crying. If she failed to figure it out, she feared that Eli would make her forfeit her life instantly. "P-please don't cry…" That was the only thing she was able to think.

Kotori wiped her tears and buried her face in her hands. "I-I just…"

The pain Umi felt right now was unbearable. At the sight of Kotori crying, she felt her heart was being squeezed. It wasn't fear from Eli's punishment, rather she felt the need to assure the girl that she was fine and to stop her from crying. A sad face doesn't suit someone like Kotori, Umi wanted to see her cheerful smile once again. Her limp hand reached out to pat her employer's head, stroking the girl's hair in soothing motions. "Kotori, I'm really okay." Her voice was both gentle and soft, as if calming a child. "This scar is an old wound, a decade old to be exact. It really doesn't bother me anymore. So please, don't worry about me." _So please smile for me once again._

Her words seemed to have the desire effect when Kotori nodded, making her pull back her hand. "I-I understand. If Umi-chan says she's okay then I believe her." Kotori uncovered her face. The tears finally stopped and she raised her head to look into the butler's eyes. "But promise me that you will tell me about the origin of your scar, Umi-chan." Kotori won't stop worrying otherwise, she had to make sure that Umi was indeed fine by hearing what happened in the past.

"I promise. Upon returning to your house I will tell everything."

Kotori nodded at Umi's words with a small smile. The sight of the smile caused the butler to feel relieved and had to lean on the bed with a sigh, glad that Kotori understood her. If she wasn't beaten up like this, she could've explained everything right now. Her fever was causing her vision to swing and she felt extremely dizzy. It was clearly a case of overworking and neglecting her health the past month. "I need to get back to sleep. Ojou-sama, I apologize but I have to ask for a leave just for today…" Umi's voice sounded weak than normal.

"I asked Nozomi-chan to fetch Maki-chan, they'll be here any moment now." Right after Kotori spoke those words, the two arrived each carrying an object. Nozomi was carrying a water bottle while Maki, a medicine box.

"Kotori, could you help her up and let her settle down on the bed?" Maki asked.  
Kotori immediately helped the butler up from her position and let her sit on the bed. Nozomi and Maki chose this moment to get closer to the two.

Umi had no idea what transpired next after that, falling asleep right after taking the medicine Maki gave her and was under a strict rule to rest for the whole day. She hoped the others won't run into trouble regarding their meal, with her out of commission like this, meant that she wouldn't be able to prepare their meal. Nozomi was with them, though, she was not entirely full of worry. In fact she probably already took up the role of the cook by now.

The butler was spot on. Nozomi found herself cooking for the others with the help of Kotori. The girl can actually prepare a meal and Maki supported that idea. It seemed like Kotori was the one in-charge of their meals during their trips when Umi was still not in the picture. Nozomi expected this kind of surprise because Umi mentioned that her employer varied from the stereotyped rich girl image. She agreed. Elichi, she meant Eli, was on par with Kotori and she knew that Maki was not lagging behind. Her interest and curiosity was piqued, wanting to learn more about the trio especially the girl who Umi kept referring to as her employer.

Nozomi, known for being a tanuki reincarnated, found a pair she could play her tricks on in the future. Why not now? As much as she desired it she couldn't, seeing that Umi was currently bedridden and it won't do to get her worked up.

"Nozomi-chan?"

Startled, Nozomi stopped her train of thoughts and replied. "Yes?"

"Is it alright if I ask you a favor?"

"Is this about Umi-chan?" She had to ask. The girl spoke in a formal tone and it bothered her. Umi was the same and it took a long while before she finally got used to it.

Kotori almost lost her grip on the spatula. She struggled to regain her footing on the conversation. "H-how did you know?"

"Instinct." Nozomi grinned. No, not really, she just knew that Kotori would think about Umi at a time like this, and if the things her friend told her were the truth, then there was no lingering doubt that Kotori would think about the butler.  
The girl looked unsure whether to press on with this topic, feeling that she might be opening Pandora's Box if she did. She chose not to in the end.

"Then, what about her?"

Kotori hoped Nozomi won't mind doing this for her. "I…"

When Umi woke up from her medicine-induced slumber, it was already past noon and her stomach complained to her for the lack of nutrients to supply her body. Now that she thought about it, they were supposed to visit the town for today's plans. She hoped they still went with it even if one of them collapsed. Umi was specifically thinking about her employer, she should have fun today especially after what happened earlier.

Umi slowly sat up, her vision no longer spinning unlike previously. If she slept more she'd probably be good as new by tomorrow, but she felt a bit hungry and needed something to eat. A light meal would suffice and after that she'd continue resting. She got off the bed, grabbed her jacket from the chair nearby, and left the room.

The state of the house was empty when she got to the first floor. Figured they wouldn't let this trip go to waste despite one of them collapsed, even Kotori went out with them, part of her assumed that her employer would stay, though. Umi shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts and entered the kitchen, seeing a note on the table. Blinking, she picked it up and read the contents, judging from the handwriting it was from Nozomi.

 _"Umi-chan, we left you a meal inside the fridge. You can just heat it up._

 _P.S. Rest after you finished your meal, okay? I'll give you a washi washi MAX x2 if I see you later moving around the house."_

"That Nozomi…" Still the same as ever. Making a mental note to thank Nozomi later, Umi proceeded to heat up the food Nozomi prepared for her. As she ate, the whole house was all but wrapped in tranquil silence. After her meal, she washed the dishes and prepared to return back to her room to continue resting.

However, when she passed by the living room, she heard the front door opening. She started to panic, thinking that what if the others forgot to lock it when they got out earlier and now a trespasser had appeared. Umi ran towards the door and saw someone she wasn't expecting. "Ojou-sama?"

Her voice startled the lady and she almost let go of the things she was holding. "E-eh? Umi-chan? You're already awake?" She asked as she closed the door behind her, which gave the butler an idea that Kotori returned alone.

"Ah, yes. I needed something to eat." She explained.

Kotori struggled with the things she was carrying. "Did you see Nozomi-chan's note?"

Umi approached her employer and freed her from her constant struggling. "W-wait, Umi-chan! I can carry these by myself. It's okay so…" She protested.

"It's fine, ojou-sama. I may be sick but I can still manage with something like this." Then she nodded. "I did." The things Kotori had with her a second ago were a bit heavy. "Ojou-sama, where should I place these?"

"T-the living room is okay. Don't take a peek inside those okay?"

"Right away." Of course she won't. Kotori returned earlier than the others and it made Umi wonder why, somehow she already knew the answer and hoped she was wrong. The lady won't leave her alone like this especially when she was sick to the point of collapsing. "Ojou-sama…" Her words trailed off as she put down the bags on the table. "…do you want a cup of tea?" As an expression of gratitude from her.

Kotori settled down on the couch, tired from her trip. "I-is it okay? I don't want you to strain yourself. Maybe you should just go back to your room instead, Umi-chan."

Umi appreciates Kotori's worry for her, but she still has a job to do as the lady's butler. She bent an arm near her stomach and bowed. "I'll just prepare ojou-sama's tea and then I'll immediately return to my room as she says."  
Cheeks flushed, Kotori nodded. "A-alright, I'll leave it to you then…"

The butler found it odd, however, that the lady's protests were weak than usual. Did something happen earlier when she was out of commission? Nozomi? No, she specifically warned her to never lay a hand on Kotori.

Umi placed the cup on the table in front of Kotori along with a plate of cheesecake. As expected, Kotori's eyes sparked at the sight of her favorite food. She smiled up to Umi in response. "Thank you, Umi-chan!"

Umi bowed once again and excused herself from the lady to return to her room. Somehow, she had gotten used to acting like a butler that it seemed normal for her. Honestly at first she didn't know what to do because her instruction was just to serve the lady of the house. She would be lying if she didn't say she messed up big time at first, and believed she would be kicked out three days after she started working. It all seemed far away now… her lips formed into a small smile.

The rest of the day went by so fast and when Umi awoke from her slumber once again, the sky was already dark and she felt infinitely better. Yet, something was amiss, something that wasn't supposed to be there, and there sat a dark blue teddy bear, wearing a black suit, on the bedside table. The only conclusion she could give at the moment that either Kotori or Nozomi placed it there while she slept.

 _"Then what about Umi-chan?"  
_

 _"I…" Kotori cleared her throat. "I want to thank her for taking care of me." She wanted to apologize as well for a lot of things. "That's why, can I ask you to help me pick a gift for her later?"_

Umi blinked, she saw a letter that the bear was holding on its arms. She could make out the words written on it. "To Umi-chan." It said. She reached out for it and opened the envelope, taking out a piece of paper. Her eyes widened as she read the words.

 _"To Umi-chan,_

 _You must be surprised to see this teddy bear. You see, Kotori wanted to thank Umi-chan for her hard work this past month. Umi-chan overworked herself to the point of collapsing, and by the way you shouldn't do that! Kotori doesn't want this to happen again, alright? This is an order from your employer! (I heard from Nozomi-chan that you refer to me that way) You should take care of yourself more so that your parents won't get worried about you. Also, you must be wondering why I decided to write these instead of saying it to you. Well, let's just say Kotori wants Umi-chan to preserve this letter. A remembrance, I guess? Just like the teddy bear._

 _There's one more thing I want to say which is about Umi-chan's scar. On second thought, it's okay for you to continue keeping it a secret. I don't want to make you remember bad things. I'll believe Umi-chan's words that she's really fine and won't ask to elaborate anymore._

 _P.S. Keep the teddy bear, alright? Take good care of it._

 _Yours truly,  
Minami Kotori"_

After she finished reading the letter, her cheeks were very warm and it wasn't from the fever. For goodness sake, that girl was really full of surprises. She folded the paper and placed it back inside the envelope, returning it to the teddy bear. Her heart refused to obey to her, it started beating so fast. This was bad, this moment reminded her of that time when she carried Kotori. Why, why was she feeling this way? She brought her hand her forehead and sighed, it was really warm to the touch. Whatever she was feeling right now, it needed to disappear. She feared that if this continued on, something irreversible would occur. She didn't want it…

Umi stayed inside her room for a while longer, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She needed it back to normal before she makes her appearance downstairs to let Kotori, no, everyone know she already recovered. She finally got off the bed and put on her jacket, and left the room.

"Umi-chan!" Kotori was the first one to notice her presence followed by the others who were occupying the living room. Eli and Maki were playing a game of chess, from the looks of it, while Nozomi and Kotori watched them.

"Um… h-hello…" Umi sounded so weird. She cleared her throat.

"Are you okay now?" Kotori asked. She and Nozomi approached the butler with the latter bringing her hand up to the girl's forehead to check her temperature.

Nozomi hummed. "Seems like she's back to normal, as expected of Umi-chan and her endurance."

"Um y-yes. T-thank you for taking care of me and I apologize for the trouble I brought." Umi felt like slapping herself for being too polite even to Nozomi.  
Nozomi grinned and Umi felt alarmed immediately. Her awkward act was coming off weird and it would be bad if Nozomi caught up with it. She needed to return back to normal. "Well then, now that Umi-chan's here. I believe it's time for dinner."

"…checkmate." Eli spoke.

Maki frowned at the chessboard. "W-what? I lost? What is this? I don't get this…"

Eli stood up from her chair. "Sonoda."

Umi flinched. "Y-yes?" Was she going to be reprimanded for being a problem during this trip?

"A match later, if you're well."

Umi couldn't believe what she just heard from Eli. This was the first time she wasn't reprimanding her for her actions. Suddenly, she felt Nozomi's hand on her shoulder. She knew it. "I understand." She replied to Eli.

Nodding, Eli left the living room followed by Maki and Nozomi. Kotori still refused to move from her spot. "Ojo-Kotori, I-I wanted to thank you…" Umi gave it her all not to squeak out the words.

Kotori shook her head and smiled at her. "It should be me thanking you, Umi-chan. I wanted to apologize too for earlier, it was rude for me to suddenly demand to tell me about your scar."

"N-no! It's fine." She didn't want the lady to feel bad about it. Her reaction was normal, anyone would do the same if they're faced with something like that. "I'm not against the idea of telling you the origin of my scar. I just needed more time to think about it…" She explained.

"Don't push yourself. Like what I wrote in that letter, if you read it already, you are free to keep it a secret."

The butler could only nod back in reply. "I-if you say so. Um, I wanted to thank you too for the teddy bear."

"You're welcome. Take good care of it, okay?"

"Y-yes."

Nozomi poked her head out of the kitchen and pouted at the two. "What's taking you so long? Everyone's waiting."

"Sorry, Nozomi. We'll be there in a bit." Umi felt Kotori's hand on hers before she was gently tugged towards the kitchen. Her heart raced once again at this contact and Umi knew that there was something going on inside her.

After their dinner, they returned back to the living room. Eli and Umi started to play chess with the others watching them, and both hearing occasional chatter and laughter from Nozomi and Kotori. Overall, it was a fun night.

Turned out the others agreed to extend their trip for a day and decided it was a wise course of action as consideration for Umi, who collapsed yesterday. They shouldn't had actually, she didn't really mind the lack of opportunity to explore the unfamiliar town but Kotori insisted, and she eventually found herself visiting the said town. Maki decided to sit out this visit and stay at the villa for today, said she expected a call from someone but refused to elaborate further.  
Kotori held Umi's hand the entire time, pointing at places Umi would find interesting and indeed, the town was beautiful and peaceful – as expected of a small town.

"Umi-chan, Umi-chan." Nozomi tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"Yes?"

"…Eli-chi and I are going the other way, okay?" She grinned. "Enjoy your date with Kotori-chan."

At the mention of the word 'date', Umi's cheeks flared up, she opened her mouth to retort but Nozomi was already skipping away towards Eli. Nozomi, the same as always, loved teasing her friends to no end. The butler sighed, suddenly being thrown into this situation right after recovering from her fever, Nozomi won't give her a break.

"Eh? Where are Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan?" Kotori came back with two crepes, one for her and one for Umi. "Here you go, Umi-chan."

"A-ah, thank you." She accepted the crepes. "Nozomi told me that they were going the other way for a reason she didn't mention."

"Is that so?" Kotori tilted her head sideway in wonder.

No, no, they left them alone because Nozomi was being her usual teasing self – as if Umi would say that. She didn't want her employer to get the wrong idea that she has an ulterior motive for her. Although, it was odd for Eli to leave her alone with Kotori, just what in the world happened between Eli and Nozomi?

"Then, that means it's just Umi-chan and me." Kotori hooked her arm around Umi's free one, she smiled up to the girl.

Kotori was acting a bit odd too, the sudden clinginess towards her confused the butler, it didn't fail making her heart beat fast that was for sure. Did something happen yesterday when she was bedridden? This had Nozomi written all over it.

"Let's go! I have a lot to show to Umi-chan!"

The reason behind that was actually something Kotori realized yesterday while she wrote the letter for Umi. The girl became an irreplaceable figure in her life. Yes, she knew that Umi's contract with her doesn't go on for a lifetime and it won't be long until she retired from her work to reunite with her family. Their time together was limited, that's why she wants to give the girl happy memories she can look back to and the same can be said for Kotori.

"Umi-chan, hurry!"

"Ah, yes! I'll be right there."

In fact, there was supposed to be another sentence in that letter but it wasn't the time to say it yet, _"Hey, Umi-chan. Thank you for coming into my life."_

* * *

Next thing Umi knew, half a year already passed since she started working as a butler. She couldn't believe that much time passed, it all seemed surreal. Before she knew it her relationship with Kotori and her friends had gotten better too.

"Is Sonoda Umi here?" Eli called out from the classroom door.

That voice stopped Umi and Kotori from leaving the classroom. They were on their way to the cafeteria to eat their lunch when Eli called out.

Umi's relationship with Eli had gotten the most drastic change. It took a lot of effort to arrive at this point and Eli finally accepted Umi's presence in Kotori's life. Although, there were still times she gets a bit annoyed towards the butler.

"Eli-chan? What's wrong?" Kotori asked.

Unfortunately, Eli shook her head. It wasn't something to be discussed with Kotori. "Kotori, I'm sorry but I want to speak with Umi for a moment."

"Are you going to scold her again?" Kotori won't have it if Eli tried to bully her butler again.

Kotori's stern face made Eli shudder. "N-no. It's nothing like that." She sighed. "So please, can I borrow her for a while? It's something really important."

"Alright, you two play nice, okay?' Kotori took the lunch boxes from Umi's grasp. "Umi-chan, I'll be waiting for you in the cafeteria."

"Ah, yes." Umi gave a nod and Kotori left the two alone. She and Eli watched her until she turned in the corner.

"…I still can't fully understand why put so much faith in you." The older one muttered.

Umi could say the same with Eli, though. "Is there something wrong?" She had a feeling that it had something to do with Kotori because Eli asked the girl to go on ahead.

"Here." Eli handed her a box which she took in confusion. "I'll let you borrow this for the time being. I can't believe you don't have a phone with you."

Umi sold her old phone after what happened to her half a year ago but wait, why was Eli giving her this? "Eli, this is not-"

"It's just lending." Eli tapped her finger against the box. "I'll take it back in the future, besides I need a way to contact you for something soon."

She was still unsure whether to accept this or not but it seemed like Eli wasn't finished with her explanation just yet. She'd decide what to do after hearing everything.

"Also, can I ask you a favor? It has something to do with Kotori and you're the only one who can do this."

"Anything."

"If someone tries to touch Kotori other than me, Maki, and her parents, stop them at all cost even if Kotori says it's okay."

She doesn't understand. Just what was Eli implying with all of these? It sounded like something bad would happen soon and the butler would play a huge role on it.

Seeing the butler's questioning gaze, Eli sighed once again. "I can't tell you everything now. You'll overthink about it and I don't want Kotori to worry about you. So, for now just keep that in mind." She brought her hand on the younger girl's shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "I'll leave Kotori's safety in your care, Umi. I already saved my and Maki's contact information in that phone, don't hesitate to call us if you need help, and remember always keep that phone with you and turned on."

Umi could only nod back. There were so many question she wanted to ask but as Eli told her, it wasn't the time. Besides, Kotori was waiting for her and it won't be nice to drag this further and make the lady wait longer. "Alright. I understand."

"You're always with Kotori, Umi. You're the only one we could count on right now."

Eli sounded like Kotori was in danger and she knew the reason why. She was unable to prevent it, though, that was why she approached the person closest to Kotori. Just what in the world was going on? When Eli left her alone, Umi opened the box and saw a note inside it.

 _"I lied when I said I'm lending it to you. Keep it because I know you need it. It's a token of gratitude from me and Maki."_

"…" She sighed and closed the box after taking out its content. Either way, she'd still return this to Eli after whatever was going to take place. Remembering that Kotori was waiting for her, Umi immediately left for the cafeteria.

"Umi-chan!" Kotori waved at her from one of the tables. The students had already started to occupy the seats and Kotori was able to secure one for them.

"I apologize for the wait, Kotori." She sat across the girl.

"It's okay, Umi-chan. What did Eli-chan want, though?"

Umi disliked lying to Kotori however, the discussion she had with Eli was something classified. She took out the phone from her pockets and showed it to her employer. "Eli gave this to me. She told me it came from her and Maki as a token of gratitude." Umi left out a lot of details.

Kotori's gaze fell on the phone and she hummed happily. "Umi-chan, you've gotten really close with Eli-chan and Maki-chan." She's happy that her butler was getting along with her childhood friends, especially with Eli.

Umi opened her mouth to speak when suddenly Kotori's phone rang. She apologized to the butler and took the call. "Yes? Minami Kotori speaking."

The butler had no idea that that phone call marked the start of it. Apparently, it came from someone Kotori knew all too well. Why wouldn't she? When the caller was, in fact, her fiancé. Umi noticed how Kotori's usual cheerful expression disappeared the moment she learned who the caller was. She looked like she was in pain and Umi got alarmed.

And when they got home that day, he was already waiting for Kotori inside the living room. Umi remembered what Eli told her. To never let anyone touch Kotori other than her friends and parents. Was she referring to this guy?

"Kotori." The guy wearing a suit stood up from the couch and approached the girl. Judging from his appearance, he was probably in his college years and older than Eli. He reached out for her hand but Umi prevented him for doing so by grabbed his wrist.

"I apologize but I'm on strict order to never let anyone touch her."

"It's fine, Umi-chan. He's not anyone suspicious."

She refused to budge from those words. Kotori's voiced sounded so forced and she the way she carried herself screamed odd seeing that the person in front of her was her fiancé. She should look more relaxed and happy.

"Let him go."

The butler shook her head.

"U-"

"It's fine, Kotori." The guy spoke. "Alright. I understand and won't try to touch her anymore so will you mind letting go?"

Umi did and still kept her guard up just in case he tried to anything funny. She had no idea why her protective switch turned on, somehow it has something to do with how Kotori was forcing a smile and trying to be polite towards him.

"Umi-chan, this is Maeda Kazuhiko-kun."

He reached out to Umi for a handshake. "Maeda Kazuhiko." He repeated.

"I'm Sonoda Umi, Kotori ojou-sama's butler." Trying to be civil, Umi accepted the handshake.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Kazuhiko smiled, mouthing something towards Umi. _I see. So, Ayase made special preparations beforehand for this visit. What a wise move from her._

It took everything in her to not wrench her hand away from him. His face disgust her. She shifted her attention towards Kotori. "Ojou-sama, it won't be wise to keep wearing your uniform. You should change out of it." In any case, getting Kotori away from him was her first priority.

"Ah, t-that's right. Umi-chan, can you prepare tea for him? I'll be back in a few."  
"Understood." Umi bent an arm in front of her stomach and bowed in respect. She watched Kotori leave the room before she turned her attention to the fiancé.

"No need to serve me. You can go with your lady instead." Kazuhiko approached the couch and sat down with a laugh. "I might just enjoy this visit."

This was exactly what Umi expected from someone coming from a rich family. A pompous behavior, a condescending look, someone who looked like he was playing a game with his life on the line but knew he would come out on top.

The reason behind Kotori's childhood friends' over-protectiveness was probably right in front of her.


End file.
